Granted, the matchup in question was a one-sided rout, with Oaks Christian earning a 22-3 win. Still, Gretzky provided nearly half of those runs with his school-record RBI exploits at the plate, and only one of his teammates had as many as three hits.

Naturally, one game does not a career make (usually, at least). Still, it's almost impossible not to see the younger Gretzky's big game as a validation of sorts for his selection of future athletic pursuits. After all, he was never going to play hockey.

And Trevor Gretzky still has plenty more opportunities to prove he belongs in college baseball, and beyond. Oaks Christian is currently 19-4, with two home-and-away series to come -- against Carpinteria (Calif.) High and St. Bonaventure (Calif.) High, respectively -- before it starts the playoffs.